In a bold declaration that signals Google’s aggressive push into the future of information retrieval, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis says the company has no plans to choose between AI-powered search and AI assistants—it will lead in both.
DeepMind CEO outlines the company’s ambitious vision, stating, “All I can tell you is that today, and for the next two or three years, both those modes are going to be growing and necessary. We plan to dominate both,” Hassabis said in a Wired interview.
The Future of Search: Two Modes, One Goal
Hassabis’ comments, made during a recent interview with Wired’s Steven Levy, reflect a strategic doubling-down on both traditional search enhanced by AI and fully immersive conversational AI experiences.
AI Overviews, Google’s generative AI feature within Search, is designed to handle quick facts, references, and summary-style queries. Meanwhile, the recently launched AI Mode, powered by Gemini, offers a more interactive and in-depth exploration of complex questions—blurring the line between traditional search and digital companionship.
This dual approach suggests that Google sees information retrieval as multi-modal: some queries are better served by a quick answer, while others benefit from a deeper conversation with an AI assistant.
Gemini vs. Google Search: Why Use Both?
When pressed on the overlap between conversational AI assistants like Gemini and traditional Google Search, Hassabis offered a nuanced take:
“I don’t go to [my assistant] for all my informational needs. I just use search for that.”
While Gemini may have the potential to “absorb all human knowledge,” as Wired’s Levy points out, Hassabis asserts that users will still rely on search engines for precision and structure. His vision is one where AI complements search, not replaces it.
Why This Matters: Implications for the Web Ecosystem
Google’s pursuit of dominance across both AI search and assistants isn’t without consequence. The rollout of AI Overviews and other AI-generated content in search has sent shockwaves across the SEO, publishing, and creator industries. As more queries are satisfied directly by Google’s AI, traffic to traditional websites is expected to decline.
Publishers and marketers are now grappling with what visibility looks like in an AI-first world, where the answers are often generated before the user clicks.
Google’s Bet: Grow Both Modes of AI
Here’s what Google is betting on:
- AI-powered search (AI Overviews): Fast, fact-based, citation-rich summaries embedded in traditional Google results.
- AI Mode (Conversational Gemini): A personalized, chat-based assistant that enables multi-step reasoning and complex task execution.
Together, these tools aim to meet every type of user intent, from the casual searcher to the power user.
The Bigger Picture: Google’s AI Strategy
Hassabis’ remarks reaffirm that Google sees AI as core to its long-term competitive edge. With Microsoft advancing via OpenAI and ChatGPT integrations into Bing and Copilot, the race is on to redefine the future of search and productivity.
Yet unlike other tech giants who may choose one dominant path—either search or assistant—Google is choosing both. The company sees this bifurcated approach not as redundant, but as essential to maintaining its information monopoly.
Final Thoughts: Prepare for an AI-Dominated Search Future
If you’re a content creator, SEO strategist, or digital marketer, this new paradigm demands a shift in thinking. You’re not just optimizing for blue links anymore. You’re now optimizing for AI visibility, citation accuracy, and interaction relevance.
As Hassabis succinctly puts it: “We plan to dominate both.”
